window to the soul: life of the impressionists gallery guide

19th century Paris - a group of young painters decide to reject the familiar neo-classical and romantic style for a more natural approach.

By challenging the status quo by taking a revolutionary approach to painting light and using colour, they are immediately treated with disdain by the conservative art scene, and are considered laughingstocks.

Today, Impressionism is known as the most recognisable and beloved art movements.

Though much has been uncovered of the techniques and influences, we rarely ever hear about the painters themselves.

With much of the general focus on the techniques, little is known about the lives of the painters.

Curated by Marine Kisiel and Paul Perrin from the MusÊe d’Orsay, the exhibition features a collection of over 60 stunning masterpieces by the foremost innovators of the art movement.

Beyond the artworks, the exhibition expounds further on the artists’ themselves. What they went endured, their highs and their lows, and the world that shaped them to make them who they were.

Monet’s journey into art began at a young age. In his days as a child, he would sell his charcoal caricatures for ten to twenty francs to locals.

He later moved to Paris to pursue art, where he would meet other young painters, who would later become friends and fellow Impressionists.

Conscripted into the army soon after, Monet served for a year before being discharged due to illness. During Monet’s time in the army, the light and vivid colours of North Africa he saw would later “contain the germ of his future researches” Focusing on his paintings after, he gained some recognition at the Salon, however he was still struggling financially.

Things however took a steep descent when his lover and future wife, Camille Doncieux, gave birth to their first child.

Penniless and in dire financial straits, he attempted suicide by drowning in the Seine.

Known as one of “les trois grandes dames� of Impressionism alongside Marie Bracquemond and Mary Cassatt, Morisot received art education at a young age, as was required of a bourgeois family. She exhibited a talent for the arts, and continued to pursue it formally.

Early in her career, two of her works were accepted into the Salon, despite being a young woman. During her period of the Salon, her work was considerably well received.

Despite her reputation as a promising painter, she moved on to Impressionism, excited by the avant garde methods. She joined the group, and was later known as an important figure in the creation of the movement.

As a woman, she was denied access into subjects men were allowed. In return, she developed and focused on her own subject matter, the world of well-heeled domesticity.

Born into an upper-class middle family, education was integral. As part of her education, she travelled to Europe and spent five years there. Through her travels, she became exposed to artists, and studied art despite opposition from her parents.

Despite taking art seriously, it was fellow male students and teachers that made things unbearable. The slow pace of teaching and patronising attitudes caused her to end her studies, and moved to Paris.

As a woman, she was denied entry into the École des BeauxArts, and as a foreigner, she was denied entry into the cafes where avant-garde socialised.

As one of her works was accepted into the Salon, she was one of the first American women to first exhibit.

At a later low point of her career, she was invited by Edward Degas to show her works with the Impressionists, and subsequently enthusiastically joined their cause.

Working in a porcelain factory as a painter, Renoir was found to have a steady hand and a talent for decorative arts.

Growing praise from wealthy patrons and his employer fed his desire to pursue art professionally.

Coming from a working class family, he often did not have enough money to buy paint during his studies.

Recognition was slow, thus affected Renoir’s fortunes that came from his earlier successes. However, when the Impressionists held their first show, though he did not sell many paintings, he attracted the attention of a collector, who would become a financial saviour of sorts.

Between the Salon and the Impressionist shows, he often showed at both, believing that acceptance at the Salon was a benchmark for success. By the end of the 1870s, he was considered a fashionable and successful painter, though moving away from Impressionist ideals.

lift lobby b

ticketing counter to gallery

auditorium foyer

concourse

visitor services concourse gallery 1

auditorium

singtel special exhibition gallery gallery 2

lift lobby b to gallery

gallery 1 city hall foyer

gallery 3

Free Admission to all galleries for: • • • •

Children aged 6 and below Local & locally-based students Local & locally-based teachers Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and one caregiver

Concessions apply to: • • • •

Children aged 7–12 Seniors aged 60 and above Full-time National Servicemen (NSF) excluding foreign personnel Overseas students & teachers

Valid identification (eg. passport, school pass, etc) must be presented at the Ticketing Counter to enjoy concessions or free admission

Opening hours for exhibitions, Keppel Centre for Art Education, Padang Entrance and public spaces are: Saturday–Thursday: 10am–7pm Friday: 10am–9pm Public holidays and Eve of PH will follow the operating hours of the day it falls on.

Curator-led Tours for Colours of Impressionism

Led by Russell Storer (Deputy Director, Curatorial & Collections Department) (Registration is required and comes inclusive of a Special Exhibition Ticket. Please be at Visitor Services on Level B1 before the tour begins.)

Fri 8 Dec 2017, 7–8.15pm $25

Daily Docent-Led Tours for Century of Light (Through 11 March 2018) Please register at least 20 minutes before the tour begins at Visitor Services on Level B1. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

English Daily | 2.30pm, Saturday – Sunday | 4pm Free with Special Exhibition Ticket | 20 slots available per session

Mandarin Friday – Sunday | 4.30pm Free with Special Exhibition Ticket | 20 slots available per session

Japanese Saturday 25 November, 30 December, 27 January, 24 February | 11.30am Free with Special Exhibition Ticket | 20 slots available per session

Talk The Impressionists and Colour: Another History Friday 17 November 2017, 7.30–8.30pm Free City Hall Wing, Level B1, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium This talk by Paul Perrin (Curator of Paintings, Musée d’Orsay, Paris) examines the Impressionists’ use of colour and their diverse sources of influence, in relation to fields such as drawing, colour theory and Neo-Impressionism.

Why Impressionism (Still) Matters Saturday 6 January 2018, 3–4pm Free Supreme Court Wing, Level 5, Glass Room Impressionism is known for capturing the pleasures and freedoms of a new, modern world in the 19th century. This lecture by Dr Kevin Chua (Associate Professor of 18th and 19th century European + Southeast Asian Art History, Texas Tech School of Art) looks at recent interpretations of the movement and considers its relevance to society today.